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A plate of shredded meat garnished with fresh cilantro sits on a bed of thinly sliced cabbage and carrots, served on a speckled ceramic dish.

Asian Crispy Duck Salad

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Hand-torn duck roasted and crisped in a skillet, served over a bright salad of quick-pickled cabbage, carrot, and cilantro. Finished with a glossy hoisin drizzle for sweet-salty balance.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 39 minutes
Cure 18 hours
Total Time 20 hours 9 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Meat
Cuisine: Asian-Fusion
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cured Duck
  • 2 duck leg quarters bone-in skin-on
  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pickled Salad
  • ½ cup shredded cabbage
  • ½ carrot julienned
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon scallions thinly sliced
To Serve
  • 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce

Equipment

  • Chefs knife
  • Cast iron skillet
  • Oven
  • Mixing Bowls

Method
 

Make the Green Salt
  1. Blend kosher salt, parsley, and black pepper until fine and evenly green.
Cure the Duck
  1. Rub duck legs with green salt and place on a tray.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours.
Roast and Crisp the Duck
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Rinse cure from duck and pat very dry.
  3. Roast on a sheet tray, uncovered, for 1 hour 20 minutes until tender.
  4. Let rest 10 minutes, then tear meat by hand into rough shreds. Carryover is the term for when the temperature keeps climbing after something is removed from the pan.
  5. Crisp shreds in a hot cast iron skillet, 3–4 minutes, until edges are golden.
Make the Pickled Salad Base
  1. In a bowl, whisk rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt until dissolved.
  2. Add cabbage and carrot, pressing down so vegetables are submerged. Let sit 15 minutes.
  3. Drain lightly, then toss with cilantro leaves and scallions.
To Plate
  1. Mound pickled salad base on plates.
  2. Top with crisped duck shreds.
  3. Drizzle with hoisin sauce.
  4. Serve immediately.

Notes

For seasoning, I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton, use half.
Storage: cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat the duck in a hot skillet to re-crisp; keep the pickled salad separate until ready to serve.

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